This chapter describes traditional civil service system assumptions. It also describes the challenges to these assumptions posed by contemporary work and organizations, demographic trends, market-based values, and new concepts of governance. The chapter offers the consequences of these challenges for twenty-first century public service systems. It presents the contemporary model of human resource management (HRM) that links these challenges with values, functions, organizational mission, and multiple perspectives. The chapter explains the key recommendations for improving public sector HRM. It also explains the concept and practice of workforce planning to strategic HRM. The chapter proposes connect indicators and standards to evaluation of HRM systems and to effective management of human resources. It discusses how a strategic human resource management information system can drive data based human resource management. Whether public or private, the need for labour dominates strategic thinking as well as the day-to-day pressure to fill vacancies and retain valued employees.